Advice on air compressor/air tools

[Guess]

I've got to rebuild my front end suspension - ball joints, bushings etc. and replace the springs. I might as well buy the air tools and air compressor and do it myself since I'd probably paying about the same amount in labor to have it done. However, now I'd own an air compressor and cool tool attachments. Plus I'd like to take my time and wire wheel everything and re-rust proof.

What's the minimum air compressor I can get by with for using air tools and do the job myself? I was looking at a 26 gallon, 110 volt 1.7 hp compressor for $288. Would this do the job? I might also end up painting the car myself with an air paint sprayer in the future.

 

[Frank87]

Well as far as size goes for air compressors the bigger the better. Now as far as tank size the smaller the tank the more the compressor(motor) is going to run. Lets say you are trying to remove a bolt with a small tank air compressor you could maybe run the gun for 10 seconds before the pressure went down and the compressor would kick back on.The horsepower makes only a little bit of difference especially if you will not use it often. You would not only have to purchase a air compressor then there is air hose and IMPACT SOCKETS do not use the chrome ones as they MAY shatter.As for an impact gun 1/2 drive should do but you want one with a lot of TORQUE (600 lbs) as some bolts may not want to come loose to easily. Any other questions or concerns feel free to PM me. If you were in Illinois I would be happy to help you out. Be careful with those coil springs and please read up on the process before doing it as it can be dangerous.

 

[413turbo]

HVLP paint guns take about 13+ cfm's. i know it's alot of money, but i'm waiting for a quincy now that should put out 15.2 cfm's at 175psi. i have a nice craftsman that puts out 8 cfm's at 40psi, and it wounldn't touch the paint gun for 1 second.

and be sure to check out aircompressorsdirect.com , i bought from northern tool before i found thier website by mistake.

 

[supercrackerbox]

I've got a 35 gallon Craftsman tank that does fine for my impact gun, but cannot keep up with my cutoff wheel or angle grinder. I don't know about painting, haven't gotten that far yet.

As for the impact gun, spend the extra money for an Ingersol Rand. Mine is a 2130 series, composite case. I love that gun.

 

[Dabigguy]

Get the largest tank with the highest CFM pump that you can afford. If you REALLY want a compressor that will last a lifetime, buy one that the electric motor truns 1725 RPM, not the 3450 RPM model. The slower running ones last MUCH longer and are much more quiet. Get a 2 stage compressor if you can afford it. That will give you higher pressure and more CFM.

 

[turbobitt]

For running an impact gun and blow gun in small burst, a small compressor will do the trick. Like the above post stated, running air grinders, DA's, orbital sanders, I would use at least a 5 HP 60 gallon compressor. You can get a Cambel Hausfield resonable at Lowe's for $399. It would be your best investment.
Allan G.

 

[Guess]

Thanks for the info everybody. Now I know what to look for. I'll check out aircompressorsdirect.com too. I'll spend the extra 1-2 hundred bucks over what I planned to get a decent one.

I'm leery of those springs so I might let a pro do it if I'm not comfortable with it.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

I spent 500 at harbor frieght, and I have never been happier. has kept up with all my demands short of long runs on the sand blaster.

A.j.

 

[Rivical]

If your looking for an avg home, occasional use compressor, you should be happy with something in the 5hp, 220-V 35/50-gal range. If you intend to do any fabrication with cut-off tools or bodywork, especially the airfile you really need to consider the cfm rating. Look for something with at least 13-cfm and an adequate tank size. The price savings of a 110V compressor or with a lower cfm rating will rapidly be offset by utility costs and wasted time waiting on it. All the tools you intend on using will have their cfm requirement listed on the label, use that as your guide to what you need more than. Then you can decide on how much more efficiency you can afford. Unless you enjoy listening to the compressor drain your wallet the whole time you're working! Another thing to consider would be brand. If you don't figure on wearing it out, it probly doesn't matter. But something that gets alot of use will require parts 10-20yrs. down the line. I went with a Speedaire 5hp/130gal. 2stage rapid recovery, and 10yrs ago was absolutely shocked to find parts houses that didn't know of my brand when it wouldn't keep up with the sandblaster anymore! So remember how much can change in 20yrs!

There's good info here in the TOOLS section

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[413turbo]

i had bought a devilbiss from lowes 10+years ago. it only lasted good for 2-3years. it never died, got got loud and ran forever. which brings me to pump life. i was going to get the new lowes kobalt, then the ingersoll rand from northern, but the guy tells me that it only has a 5,000 hour pump life, sure enough, it was on ingersoll rand website also. the quincy was made here in illinois and has over a 50,000 hour pump life, so i decided to pay almost double for a compressor that ought to last 10times longer, plus it should be completely rebuildable.

but, i'm hard on a compressor, sand-blast, glass-bead, paint, and sand all the time. my little one has gotten me by, it has been a pain waiting for it to fill and then only being able to blast for minutes at a time, so if your serious about sanding and painting, get that big boy unit.